Founder
When you have children with a former spouse, divorce is not the end of the relationship. Building a solid co-parenting relationship after divorce is important, mainly for your kids. While easier said than done, establishing a positive co-parenting relationship with your former spouse can foster a sense of security and continuity for your children. Knowing that both parents will play a positive and active role in their lives can be of immeasurable help to your children and their continued mental and emotional well-being. Here are some tips on how to make that positive co-parenting relationship happen.
Fostering Positive Co-Parenting Relationships
It may feel impossible to have a positive co-parenting relationship with a former spouse. You may have doubts about a co-parent’s abilities to actually parent. You may feel resentful and distrustful. There can be substantial amounts of baggage carried over from the divorce and years prior. In establishing and maintaining a positive co-parenting relationship with your former spouse, keep in mind the one simple truth that what you are doing is in the best interests of your children. Whatever resentment or anger you feel toward your former spouse, your children can still reap the benefits of seeing you two form a solid co-parenting relationship.
These tips on how to foster a positive co-parenting relationship are often way easier said than done. They are simply a starting point for the road ahead. A good place to start is finding a way to set aside your feelings of hurt and resentment for your former spouse. If it helps, try to focus on them only as the other parent of your children. Pack up the baggage of your marriage and put them away. Take those feelings out elsewhere. This can mean accessing a support system made up of people you trust, such as your friends, family, or a therapist. Put your ill-feelings about your former spouse away and work to keep them away from your co-parenting relationship.
Improving communication with your co-parent is also critically important to the success of this relationship. Do not make your children the go-betweens. Work to communicate in a peaceful and purposeful way with your co-parent. It can really help to limit communications strictly to child-related issues. Maintaining a business-type demeanor in communication style can be a good standard to work toward and maintain.
Co-parenting can and should involve some level of teamwork. You will want your former spouse to communicate about issues relating to the children and work with you on these things. Afford them the same courtesy. This has benefits for all parties involved. Your children will see that you work together to resolve important matters. Consistency in parenting perspectives and boundaries will fall more in line. The children will benefit from more constants in their lives.
Florida Family Law Attorneys
Divorce issues do not end after divorce. At Orlando Family Team, we are not only here to help protect you and your family through the divorce process, but we are here to set you up for a successful post-divorce future. Our clients lean on us during divorce and afterward. Contact us today.
